Brake adjusting means



JfOSS eerence U18-365 XR 2116216 1R Saarch vRoc May 3, 1938- c. sAUzEDDE 2,116,216

BRAKE ADJUSTING MEANS l Filed July 8, 1935 2 SheQtS-Sheet l |lllll'lllllllllllll INVENTOR.

' ATTO EYS 188- BRAKES Gross Reference 152 l Search Roon May 3, 1938. c. sAuzEDDE 2,115,215

BRAKE ADJUSTING MEANS Filed July 8, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 x 25 -umso /m'4 o 5 2 il 5' 2 9 z 7 INVENTOR.

i ATTORNEYS Patented May 3, 1938 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE BRAKE ADJ UST'ING MEANS Claude Sauzedde, Detroit, Mich., assig'nor to Detroit Hydrostatic Brake Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application July 8, 1935, Serial No. 30,231v

Claims. (Cl. 188-79.5)

This invention relates to brakes of the type front and rear side Wall sections 3 and 4 respecactuated by fluid pressure derived from a source tively, the two sections each being' formed with external to the wheel supporting the brakes. It substantially radially extending portions 5 and pertains more particularly to means to be used in with annular braking surfaces 6. The braking 5 conjunction with such brakes for adjusting the surfaces on the opposite hub sections are angubrake shoes with respect to the surfaces with larly formed whereby they co-operate to form a which they contact for the purpose of providing substantially conical seat for conical type brake. a desired clearance between the shoes and their shoes to be presently described. The two sections f contacting surfaces when the brakes are inopera- 3 and 4 are bolted together in the usual manner tive. (not shown) and the section 3 is provided with 10 It is well known in the art and the industry to radial lugs 'l receiving bolts 8 securing a tire supwhich this invention pertains that accurate adporting rim 9 thereto. The section 3 also has an justment of the brake shoes is an important conextending portion I0 receiving and supporting sideration in the efficient operation of brakes and ahub cap I I.

accordingly this invention has as its primary ob- Splined on the axle I is a spider I2 which is 15 ject to provide means whereby such adjustments designed for the support of two individual brake may be easily made and accurately gauged. shoe elements but it will be understood that this Another object of the invention is to provide particularfdisclosure is by way of example only means for maintaining the shoes in their ad and the invention is not restricted to any particujusted position after such adjustments have been lar number of shoes. The spider is formed with made. two diametrically opposite annular internally The present invention in its preferred form is threaded recesses I3, the inner end of the thread used in combination with brake shoes of seczones being spaced from the bottoms of the retional segmental conical dual-faced type which cesses. Received in the screwthreaded part of. are supported for wedging engagement with angueach recess I3 is an externally threaded ring I4 25 larly disposed annular surfaces cf brake drums on which secures a double cup .dexible seal I5 in the a vehicle wheel. The shoes are moved radially bottom of each recess. Fluid under pressure from into contact withV the brake drum surfaces by a source external to the hub is adapted to be uid pressure and when the iluid pressure is resupplied to the recesses I3, beneath the seals I5,

moved resiliently yieldable means moves the shoes through ports I6 in the spider. Each spider is 30 out of contact with the drum surfaces. This further equipped with a bleeder valve I'I through invention provides means for limiting the movewhich trapped air may be withdrawn from the ment of the shoes in a direction away from the recesses I3the passage I8in Fig. 1 illustrating the drum surfaces, the means being manually admanner of connecting the'recesses with the bleeder J'ustable so that the position the shoe takes, with valve. 35 respect to the drum surface, may be varied. Received in the cupped part of each seal I5 is With the above and other ends in view the inan internally screwthreaded annular body I9. vention consists in matters hereinafter more par- The seal is preferably formed of a rubber comticularly pointed out with reference to the acposition and the body I9 is pressed thereinto.

40 companying drawings, in which The t between the body and the seal is there- 40 Fig. l is a sectional View of a Wheel and brake fore tight and frictionally resists rotation of the assembly; body with respect to the seal. As .an additional Fig. 2 is a fragmentary transverse cross section; precaution against rotation of the body with re- Figs. 3 and 4 are details illustrating the adspect to the seal the external surface of the body justing operation; I9 may be roughened or grooved or the two sur- 45 Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of a brake shoe unit; faces may be secured together by an adhesive. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the adjusting element, Screwthreaded into the annular body I9 is a and brake shoe adjusting elementA 20 comprising an Fig. 7 is an explodeddetail View, partly in secexternally threaded cylindrical body with a flange tion and partly-in elevation. '2l providing an enlarged endbearing surface 22 50 Like characters of reference are employed which is provided with radially extending ratchet throughout to designate corresponding parts. teeth.

In the drawings theenumeral I designates anv -The spider is provided with a pair of outwardly axle having .a wheel yhub mounted onbearings k2 extending guide arman adjacent to each recess supported..;t he reon. The wheel hubgrcgmprises; I3 and slidablyfreeived in -eachset Ofarms is a 55 bracket 24 supporting conical type brake shoes 25.

The two sets of brake shoes thus supported are connected by tension springs 26 which function to move the shoes and brackets with respect to the guides, inwardly toward the axis of the spider, and to hold the brackets 24 in engagement with the bearing surfaces 22 on the adjustment elements 2|. The inner ends 21 of the brackets 24 are provided with ratchet teeth 28 adapted to be interlocked with the ratchet teeth 22 by the action of the springs 28.

From the foregoing description it becomes apparent that when uid under pressure is present in the recesses I3 that the seals I5, annular bodies I9, adjustment elements 20 and brackets 24 will be forced outwardly to move the shoes into contact with the drum surfaces 6. When the fluid pressure is removed the springs 26 again move the shoes inwardly until the seals I5 seat on the bottoms of the annular recesses I3.

In order to provide for adjustment of the shoes with respect to the surfaces 6 the hub section 3 is provided with an aperture 29 and the flange 2| on each element 20 is provided with a series of teeth 30 on its periphery, the teeth being similar to gear teeth. In addition, the spider |2 is provided with bores 3| spaced from the axis thereof a distance corresponding to the distance the aperture 29 is spaced from the axis.

A wrench comprising a rod-like 'body 32 is provided with a pilot 33 on the end thereof and is provided with a radially extending arm 34 having its end 35 bent to extend in the direction of the axis of the body 32.

In order to adjust the brake shoes the end of the wrench is inserted through the aperture 29 and is placed so that the pilot 33 extends into the bore 3| and the bent end 35 extends into a groove between teeth on the flange 2|. The Wrench body 32 is then manually rotated with the result that the bent arm 34 imparts rotative movement to the adjustment element 20. With the annular body I9 stationary and in its fully retracted position shown in Fig. 1 rotation of the element 20 in one direction will move the same outwardly so that the shoes 25 are moved nearer to the surfaces 6.

In order to adjust the shoes properly the shoesl are moved into contact with the surfaces 6 and are then backed away. As the element 20 is rotated to back the shoes 25 away from the surfaces 6 the co-operating ratchets 22 and 28 provide a means for determining the distance the shoes are moved and thus the clearance between the shoes and the surfaces 6. As the element 20 is thus rotated the ratchets serve both as an audible indication of the amount of movement and means whereby the operator can feel the progressive steps in its rotative movement. As the ratchet teeth 22 are moved relative to the ratchet teeth 28 they set up a clicking sound and due to the pressure of the springs 26 the operator can feel the action of the teeth passing their respective high points and dropping into their respective low points, and each step in the movement results in a definite amount of movement of the shoes with respect to the surfaces 6. Therefore, if each step of the movement of the element 20 results in a definite amount of movement of the shoes, the ratchet device provides means for indicating the amount of clearance between the shoes and the surfaces 6. For example, if each step in the movement of the element 2U results in a thousandth of an inch movement of the shoes the operator is able to count the steps until the desired amount of clearance is provided.

The ratchet teeth 22 and 28 are preferably formed comparatively at, for example, five thousandths of an inch. Thus they do not cause an excessive amount of movement of the shoes as the ratchets are relatively moved and yet they serve to maintain the adjusted relationship after it has been completed.

Although a. specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described it will be understood that various changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention, and such changes are contemplated.

What I claim iszl. A brake shoe adjusting device for a hydrostatic brake mechanism wherein brake shoes are moved radially into engagement with a drum by a movable element movable in response to fluid pressure and wherein the brake shoes are retracted from engagement with the drum by spring means, said adjusting device comprising a cylindrical body having a screwthreaded portion for engagement with the movable element of the brake mechanism, said cylindrical element having splines on the end thereof and a flange at the splined end formed with purchase points for engagement by a tool, and a member for supporting the brake shoe of the brake mechanism, said member having splines adapted to interlock with the splines on the end of said cylindrical element.

2. A brake shoe adjusting device for a hydrostatic brake mechanism wherein brake shoes are moved radially into engagement with a drum by a movable element movable in response to fluid pressure and wherein the brake shoes are retracted from engagement with the drum by spring means, said adjusting device comprising a cylindrical body having a screwthreaded portion for engagement with the movable element of the brake mechanism, said cylindrical element having splines on the end thereof and a flange at the splined end formed with purchase points for engagement by a tool, and a member for supporting the brake shoe of the brake mechanism, said member having splines adapted to interlock with the splines on the end of said cylindrical element, said splines being adapted to be held interlocked by the shoe retracting springs of the brake mechanism and having uniform spacing, the spacing of said splines having a definite relationship with the pitch of the threads on said cylindrical body whereby relative movement ofthe splines of one body past the other represents a definite amount of adjustment movement.

3. A brake shoe adjusting device for a hydrostatic brake mechanism wherein the brake shoes are moved radially into engagement with a drum by a movable element movable in response to fluid pressure and wherein the brake shoes are retracted from engagement with the drum by spring means, said adjusting device comprising a cylindrical body, a brake shoe supporting member, said cylindrical body having a screwthreaded end adapted to engage the movable element of the brake mechanism, said cylindrical body having purchase means thereon adapted to be engaged by a tool for rotating the same, and interlocking means on an end of said cylindrical body and on said shoe supporting member adapted to be held yieldably in interlocked relation by the shoe retracting springs, said interlocking means being uniformly spaced and having a definite relationship with the threads on said cylindrical body.

4. Adjustment means adapted to be mounted between a shoe and a movable element in a brake Lalli?? structure having a shoe, a drum adapted to be contacted by the shoe, a movable element adapted to move the shoe into contact with the drum, and resilient means for retracting the shoe from contact with the drum, said adjustment means comprising a screwthreaded member adapted to be mounted in the movable element, a non-rotatable member engaged by the end of said screwthreaded member and adapted to be moved thereby to transmit movement to the brake shoe, the contaoting portions of said two members having splines radiating from a common axis, said splines being adapted to be held yieldably engaged by the shoe retraoting means to prevent accidental rotation of said screwthreaded member.

5. Adjustment means adapted to be mounted between a shoe and a movable element in a brake structure having a shoe, a drum adapted to be contacted by the shoe, a movable element adapted to move the shoe into contact with the drum, and resilient means for retracting the shoe from contact with the drum, said adjustment means comprising a sorewthreaded member adapted to be mounted in the movable element, a non-rotatable member engaged by the end of said serewthreaded member and adapted to be moved thereby to transmit movement to the brake shoe, the contacting portions of said two members having splines radiating from a common axis, said splines being adapted to be held yieldably engaged by the shoe retracting means to prevent accidental rotation of said screwthreaded member, said splines being proportioned with a definite relationship as to the pitch of the threads on said screwthreaded member, the screwthreaded member being adapted to be manually rotated, engagement and disengagement of said splines as a result of rotative movement of said serewthreaded member being adapted to cause an audible indication of the extent of such movement due to the yielding pressure of said shoe retracting means. CLAUDE SAUZEDDE. 

